ICC Note:

North Korea said on Saturday that it had sentenced a Baptist missionary from South Korea to a labor camp for life on charges of spying and trying to build underground churches in the country. The missionary Kim Jung-wook was caught in October, 2013 and was based in Dandong, China, for many years. Recently, the region has tightened up the Chinese-North Korean border and has been using the case of Mr. Kim as a warning to other missionaries who have been active in that region.

By Anugrah Kumar

06/02/2014 North Korea (The Christian Post)- North Korean media has reported that South Korean Baptist missionary Kim Jung-wook has been sentenced to hard labor for life on charges of spying and trying to set up underground churches.

The trial took place Friday when the missionary admitted to committing anti-North Korean religious acts and “malignantly hurting the dignity” of the country’s supreme leadership, or the ruling Kim family, The Associated Press reported quoting state media.

A North Korean dispatch written Friday, but released early Saturday, said Jung-wook, who is about 50 years old, had defense counsel, but other details were not provided.

An unidentified North Korean defense attorney said the missionary “sincerely repented of his crimes and apologized for them” and urged that the court commute the death sentence demanded by prosecutors, who produced “evidence such as religious books, memory cards, sex CDs and spying devices carried by the accused for criminal purposes.”

Kim was arrested last October after he entered North Korea from China. A North Korean television program featured him in February alleging he received assistance from South Korea’s intelligence agency and that he had apologized for committing “anti-state” crimes.

South Korea has denied any spy links to Kim.

In Dandong, China, where Jung-wook was based for some years since 2007, the missionary helped North Korean defectors flee to South Korea through other countries including Thailand and Laos, according to a friend. However, Chinese authorities caught 12 North Korean women in August 2012 from his shelter and sent them back to North Korea. Jung-wook crossed into North Korea to find out about the women and to learn about a food shortage there, but got caught by authorities.

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